EXPIRED: [US] Walmart: clearance, 50% Off

Comments

@DrDaveWatford: Thats because they want to get rid of these sets, and do not care, unfortunately for smaller collector, who buys them all.

As for those who obviously think it is alright for this type of behavior:Ok, People 'liking the 'hunt', as you call it, does not justify your clearing out a store of a particular set or line, to eliminate the chance of anyone else getting them, just for your 'rush'.What, buying 2-4 of a set is not enough? Stepping back, looking at your cart (or carts) completely filled with one type of LEGO set is not enough to wake you up?Whatever.. I guess you just cannot convince some people, as evident of those ganging up on my comments and not many people agreeing.

I also notice only one part of my original thread was focused on, and not the other...So when are all of you then going to give an opportunity for those who missed out on the sets they wanted, because the likes of you, and chance to buy the sets at the same prices you cleaned out a set for?? No?? Did not think so....

As for the greedy people on this thread saying get up at 5am to go get your item? WHY? WHY should people have to do this? and WHY should one guy go in a clean out a store? Some people have LIVES, they need to get to work, or get sleep to go to work, some of us do not have oodles of cash lying around to go take a day off of work to go run down every store in an area for what? To then clean out said store?

Sadly I know I am not getting through to the greedy people here in this forum thread, but it is just sad because if there are 4-5 guys (at least) that see no problem with this, in this thread, lord knows how many people do this in total.

In which case, sales and clearances will not mean anything to the majority of casual collectors, or even casual buyer/sellers.. Not if hardcore... ummm 'collectors' are getting their daily 'fix' buy running to every store with a clearance they can think of and buying every piece of LEGO in that clearance to stop anyone else from getting anything.

But again, like talking to a brick wall, so have fun with your conquests, and spoils, I guess.

I am Spartacus. ;o). I know how frustrating it can be to show up minutes after a cart loader and no, that cart loader, though friendly, did not offer me dibs. It's all good, though. And I too think @Pacific493 captured it perfectly.

I picked up all 20 or so Star Wars advent calendars at my local Wally World, but when a mother asked about them, I pulled one out of my cart and handed it to her. She asked the price, I told her, she handed it back saying $20 was too expensive, she would by them when they got to $6.

No offense bud, but if not getting your Lego sets on clearance is your life's biggest concern, I'd say you're doing ok. Go take a trip to a 3rd world country someday...I've been to a few and I'll never get worked up over such a petty thing...it would do you a wonder of good to put life's true important issues in perspective.

On a lighter note, is no one seeing the problem in the logistics of getting 15 carts out the door in 5 minutes...or even an hour...how did this happen?? Lol

@DrDaveWatford: Thats because they want to get rid of these sets, and do not care, unfortunately for smaller collector, who buys them all.

Not necessarily; if this is indeed the case, why for example do LEGO sometimes place restrictions on the number of a particular item that can be purchased ? And why was there a "one person, one set" restriction (poorly implemented, admittedly) on the recent newspaper giveaways in the UK ? I'll reiterate my earlier point - empty-handed customers should badger the retailer regarding the need for a restriction; if enough people shout, and they shout loud enough, something will happen. It's a crying shame that such action is necessary, but at least the customer can potentially do something about it.

OK, so Admin hat off for a moment.... @madforlegos, please don't despair - I can categorically state that your comments resonate with other Bricksetters. I know this because they've PM'd me about it..... The forum was set up to serve AFOLs - Adult FANS of LEGO - people whose primary motivation is the love of the brick. Such people may buy and sell in order to fund their hobby, of course, but anyone who can't see the difference between buying a few multiples versus cleaning out a whole store of sale items is either insightless or just deluding themselves I'm afraid. There's a clear qualitative difference between these behaviours on many levels, and to be frank, you could argue that someone who would clean out a whole store of sale items, thus denying their fellow KFOLs, TFOLs, AFOLs, mums, dads or grandmas a chance to share in the good fortune maybe just doesn't get what being part of a fan community actually means....

I'm hoping that everyone on here does "get" what being part of this community is about, in which case just a bit of thought about how some of the posts revelling in huge hauls and cleaning out shelves of sale items might look to the rest of the forum users wouldn't go amiss...

No offense bud, but if not getting your Lego sets on clearance is your life's biggest concern, I'd say you're doing ok. Go take a trip to a 3rd world country someday...I've been to a few and I'll never get worked up over such a petty thing...it would do you a wonder of good to put life's true important issues in perspective.

On a lighter note, is no one seeing the problem in the logistics of getting 15 carts out the door in 5 minutes...or even an hour...how did this happen?? Lol

--- gotcha.. So it is Ok that someone is hoarding LEGO sets (which by the way flies in the face of you other countries having issues comments above) by going store to store to clean them out but I have the issue if I cannot find a set on clearance...

Ahah... got it....

^--- Thanks @drdavewatford. We have all had our gluttony I think when it comes to set purchases at times, but lately it seems to be out of control lately, and I think you are definitely explaining it better than I can.

"Early bird gets the worm" sums it all up. If your not will to sacrifice time, sleep, and money you will never find these deals because so many other people are, stop acting jealous and start finding the deals before others do! I'm sure if you had the capital to purchase 15 carts of Legos that are 50% off you would do it too! I had to go to 6 different Walmarts to find the one that had more than Mace Windu's fighter left. Also i had to get the employee to bring the two carts out from the back. While going through them lots of people asked about them and I told them they are clearance stock. The kids got all excited and the parents said you just had Christmas! LOL three different groups of people said the same thing, so I'm pretty sure i did not prevent anyone form buying these sets. Plus a couple of grandparents asked about them and where going to buy a few for next Christmas then decided against it. I took about 1/2 off 1 cart and left the rest. BTW the bill was over $400, so yes these people are making investments.

@madforlegos would you be angry at someone clearing the shelf at MSRP priced Lego? I really don't see a difference. These sets have been for sale for 1-2 years now, people have had plenty of chances to buy these sets and clearly did not. Thus retails resorting to clearance prices to move the inventory.

I see it both ways. I would not wipe out a shelf or order a ton at once. However, I totally understand if it meant keeping a roof over your head or food on the table. There are so many people out of work right now that I do think some people do see it as a job.

Sure - be it as a result of necessity or just good old-fashioned greed, some people will do whatever they can get away with, which is why it's up to the retailer to act as moderator. And perhaps if enough empty-handed customers complain it'll happen....

I agree. I don't mind when stores put limits for this reason. Heck...who want to go to a big sale and find empty shelves and know that only 1 person got it all? I guess it comes down to personal decisions and what one feels is o.k. I wouldn't do it, but as I stated I can understand why some people might need to.

Sure - be it as a result of necessity or just good old-fashioned greed, some people will do whatever they can get away with, which is why it's up to the retailer to act as moderator. And perhaps if enough empty-handed customers complain it'll happen....

Uhhh, why exactly would a retailer moderate the sale of merchandise that it is selling on ***clearance***. The whole point of a sale like that is to clear out the merchandise to make room for new merchandise. I would suspect that the Walmarts of the world appreciate the folks who come in and take a huge amount of stale product off their hand in a single shot...it's a far more efficient way to clear the shelves and I seriously doubt that there are many people whose retail behavior is influenced by whether they are able to buy products on clearance. I don't generally buy Lego sets from Walmart or Target, but I will when they are on clearance. Conversely, I would suspect that the average consumer who buys Lego from those outlets is unlikely to feel cheated if they don't get in a good deal.

Uhhh, why exactly would a retailer moderate the sale of merchandise that it is selling on ***clearance***

Like I said - to keep their customers happy. You know - the 99% of customers who have made a special visit to the store to get a bargain in the sales, only to find that the 1% has emptied the entire contents of the toy aisle into 15 shopping carts.... Believe what you want about clearing the stock being the only thing that matters, but you'll find that at least some retailers are also concerned about customer satisfaction.

@DrDaveWatford: Thats because they want to get rid of these sets, and do not care, unfortunately for smaller collector, who buys them all.

Not necessarily; if this is indeed the case, why for example do LEGO sometimes place restrictions on the number of a particular items that can be purchased ? And why was there a "one person, one set" restriction (poorly implemented, admittedly) on the recent newspaper giveaways in the UK ? I'll reiterate my earlier point - empty-handed customers should badger the retailer regarding the need for a restriction; if enough people shout, and they shout loud enough, something will happen. It's a crying shame that such action is necessary, but at least the customer can potentially do something about it.

OK, so Admin hat off for a moment.... @madforlegos, please don't despair - I can categorically state that your comments resonate with other Bricksetters. I know this because they've PM'd me about it..... The forum was set up to serve AFOLs - Adult FANS of LEGO - people whose primary motivation is the love of the brick. Such people may buy and sell in order to fund their hobby, of course, but anyone who can't see the difference between buying a few multiples versus cleaning out a whole store of sale items is either insightless or just deluding themselves I'm afraid. There's a clear qualitative difference between these behaviours on many levels, and to be frank, you could argue that someone who would clean out a whole store of sale items, thus denying their fellow KFOLs, TFOLs, AFOLs, mums, dads or grandmas a chance to share in the good fortune maybe just doesn't get what being part of a fan community actually means....

I'm hoping that everyone on here does "get" what being part of this community is about, in which case just a bit of thought about how some of the posts revelling in huge hauls and cleaning out shelves of sale items might look to the rest of the forum users wouldn't go amiss...

The only problem with this statement is that anyone who wanted the set at full price had plenty of time to buy it. Several months or even a year in some cases.

When it comes to clearance, the retailer's *only* motive is clearing the shelves quickly. There is absolutely no regard for "making it fair."

I tend to agree that there are instances where purchase limits can be useful when an item is being sold for full price or even when it is on sale, but when an item is on clearance, the rules go out the window.

For what it's worth, I don't clear shelves, unless the quantity of an item I want is low (i.e. less than 3-5, for example), but I'm not going to hate on people that do. They have every right to do so, and they have no reason to need to justify doing so.

As for those who obviously think it is alright for this type of behavior: Ok, People 'liking the 'hunt', as you call it, does not justify your clearing out a store of a particular set or line, to eliminate the chance of anyone else getting them, just for your 'rush'.

Well, let me be the first to sincerely (or, in reality, sarcastically) apologize for offending your delicate sensibilities regarding the propriety of my retail behavior. Henceforth, I will be sure to check in with you to determine whether the amount of merchandise that I would like to buy from a willing seller in a private transaction is -- in your subjective judgment -- "justified."

Whatever.. I guess you just cannot convince some people, as evident of those ganging up on my comments and not many people agreeing.

Convince some people of what? That we should all live our lives according to your subjective judgment of what constitutes "justifiable" behavior? Get off of your soapbox. So you think it's wrong for someone to buy a bunch of merchandise that is on clearance and, therefore, is in limited supply...I think we all get that, but, personally and phrasing my opinion of your beliefs very charitably, I simply disagree with your judgment that it is wrong for a willing buyer to purchase a given amount of merchandise from a willing seller at a price that both parties to the transaction find acceptable.

On a lighter note, is no one seeing the problem in the logistics of getting 15 carts out the door in 5 minutes...or even an hour...how did this happen?? Lol

Getting them out the door, I was marveling at the logistics of getting 15 carts to the toy aisle in 5 minutes at 5 am. I pictured something like that old supermarket dash gameshow with a bunch of sleep-deprived Walmart workers standing around thinking "What the f*** is that crazy person doing?"

@madforlegos would you be angry at someone clearing the shelf at MSRP priced Lego? I really don't see a difference. These sets have been for sale for 1-2 years now, people have had plenty of chances to buy these sets and clearly did not. Thus retails resorting to clearance prices to move the inventory.

Yes I know, keep making excuses and missing the point.. by all means... Justify gluttony...But I will play the 'what if' game with you...What if some kid could not get one for 2 years because of the price, then they are on clearance but some 'collector' decided he must go to EVERY Walmart in his area to clear them out.. is it that kid's fault because he cannot get to a Walmart at 5am to beat the goof who decided to turn off his limiter and buy out the store?

According to you that is in which case I guess we should actually feel sorry for you with the way you think...

As for those who obviously think it is alright for this type of behavior: Ok, People 'liking the 'hunt', as you call it, does not justify your clearing out a store of a particular set or line, to eliminate the chance of anyone else getting them, just for your 'rush'.

Well, let me be the first to sincerely (or, in reality, sarcastically) apologize for offending your delicate sensibilities regarding the propriety of my retail behavior. Henceforth, I will be sure to check in with you to determine whether the amount of merchandise that I would like to buy from a willing seller in a private transaction is -- in your subjective judgment -- "justified."

Whatever.. I guess you just cannot convince some people, as evident of those ganging up on my comments and not many people agreeing.

Convince some people of what? That we should all live our lives according to your subjective judgment of what constitutes "justifiable" behavior? Get off of your soapbox. So you think it's wrong for someone to buy a bunch of merchandise that is on clearance and, therefore, is in limited supply...I think we all get that, but, personally and phrasing my opinion of your beliefs very charitably, I simply disagree with your judgment that it is wrong for a willing buyer to purchase a given amount of merchandise from a willing seller at a price that both parties to the transaction find acceptable.

That is fine.. But you know what they say about Greed and Gluttony..But fine.. keep 'braying' away how it is Ok for people go and loot multiple stores for the sake of their own pockets..

Not necessarily; if this is indeed the case, why for example do LEGO sometimes place restrictions on the number of a particular item that can be purchased ? And why was there a "one person, one set" restriction (poorly implemented, admittedly) on the recent newspaper giveaways in the UK ?

Because different retailers have different business models and different priorities. Some retailers build their business around brand loyalty and customer experience, others build their business around volume. I can't say why exactly Lego or Amazon puts limits on the sale of certain sets, but I know why Walmart doesn't...its entire business is built on volume.

I'll reiterate my earlier point - empty-handed customers should badger the retailer regarding the need for a restriction; if enough people shout, and they shout loud enough, something will happen. It's a crying shame that such action is necessary, but at least the customer can potentially do something about it.

It is a bit naive to think that a retailer, particularly one like Walmart, is going to voluntarily limit the number of clearance merchandise items that any given customer can buy...particularly in the days after christmas. You do all realize that Walmart puts items on clearance sale because it wants to ***clear*** them out of the store?

I'm hoping that everyone on here does "get" what being part of this community is about, in which case just a bit of thought about how some of the posts revelling in huge hauls and cleaning out shelves of sale items might look to the rest of the forum users wouldn't go amiss...

I certainly get what it means to be a part of this community and I hope that others understand why the type of smug judgment that has been flowing in this thread tonight might rub other members of the community the wrong way. The fact is that what people have been talking about in the clearance and sale threads over the past few days is an intrinsic part of the fabric of this community.

@madforlegos I'm glad someone is finally stating what many of us are thinking. I find it a little more than ridiculous how some find it necessary to hop on the boards to let us know they dropped 2K at a LEGO store then the next day 3K at Walmart/Target by cleaning them out of all the deals. Sure, spend your money how you want to but why shove it in peoples faces day after day.

You said it perfectly in that you just aren't going to get through to some people. It's great to see someone who's fed up and not afraid to say it.

I guess I'm on the fence here. Personally, I could never see myself clearing shelves of cartload(s) of any LEGO, discount or not. It's hard enough for me to go to Walmart, let alone make a spectacle of myself by such a grandiose purchase. And I doubt many of us even normally have the kind of budget that would facilitate such a purchase. But if I did have the money, I'm still not sure I would do it.

But I don't necessarily hate on those that do either because the line would get constantly redrawn. I love battlepacks so I regularly buy multiples. LFT would see me as normal while my wife sees me as LFT. :o). It's all relative. And it gets even more foggy when you look at CMF collecting...

All this being said, I also don't feel I am owed anything by the retailer so long as their policies are consistent. For those that are upset about the policies, I'm with DrD in that I challenge you to let the retailers know. That's the only way you'll ever effect a change. If you are indeed in the majority, the retailers are sure to listen because they want happy customers as much as if not more than they want to clear stale product.

This is obviously a touchy subject in our community and we're not likely all ever going to agree. But I also don't think listing our hauls in every thread helps matters. There is already a "brag" thread for this. I realize we're all frenzing right now as retailers have been chumming the waters but the constant haul updates has been overkill, IMO. The same, though, goes for the anti-haulers. We don't have to pitch this same battle in every sales thread.

As tk79 said, let's try and keep things in perspective....missing the chance at getting an item on sale after it's been on the market forever is the chance we take by waiting. I don't blame @Pacific493 for my not getting an MTT....I blame @LegoFanTexas.

@madforlegos would you be angry at someone clearing the shelf at MSRP priced Lego? I really don't see a difference. These sets have been for sale for 1-2 years now, people have had plenty of chances to buy these sets and clearly did not. Thus retails resorting to clearance prices to move the inventory.

Yes I know, keep making excuses and missing the point.. by all means... Justify gluttony...But I will play the 'what if' game with you...What if some kid could not get one for 2 years because of the price, then they are on clearance but some 'collector' decided he must go to EVERY Walmart in his area to clear them out.. is it that kid's fault because he cannot get to a Walmart at 5am to beat the goof who decided to turn off his limiter and buy out the store?

According to you that is in which case I guess we should actually feel sorry for you with the way you think...

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@madforlegos - Haha your funny, I will play your childish games of jealousy and rage. here is a free life lesson for budgeting.

Tell the kid to save 1 dollar a day and he will have 365$ to spend on Lego a year, that's an entire "theme" in all but say City or Star Wars sets

You can beat the dead horse all day long about greedy, gluttony ect. Try be honest and admit to jealousy. We all live in the real world, and that world is capatilism. :/

That is fine.. But you know what they say about Greed and Gluttony..But fine.. keep 'braying' away how it is Ok for people go and loot multiple stores for the sake of their own pockets..

You still have not said anything to convince me that there is anything wrong with a willing buyer purchasing as much product as they would like from a retailer who is willing to sell that same amount of merchandise to them. If Walmart wants to sell and I want to buy, why should I not buy?

And I'd like to ask you about something you said earlier...you said that you have, from time to time, bought sets on sale in order to resell them, so you clearly do not have a deep and principled objection to the underlying behavior you are criticizing. What I'm curious to know is where do you draw the line? How much is too much in your mind? How much can one person buy in a clearance sale without you believing that the transaction is "unjustified?"

The fact that you approve of buying a certain number of sets to resell while simultaneously criticize others for buying a greater number of sets for the same purpose is both hypocritical and a bit reminiscent of the story about the man who asks a woman whether she will spend the night with him in exchange for $1million. When she enthusiastically says yes, he asks whether she will spend the night with him for $5. When she disgustedly responds "What do you think I am?," he replies, "we've already established what you are, now we're just negotiating over price."

^^^---Jealousy eh? I can go out right now and clear out a store, especially one with clearances.. I do not do this though, cause while I do believe while it is nice to get a bunch of sets on deals, it is not my life.. I do not feel the need to spend 350 dollars on Slave 1s on a whim.I do not do this for a living, nor do many others, but I am sure many others would like to get at least 1 or even 2 sets on deals like this in order for them to save a buck, not make a buck..Be careful on your assumptions and I'll be careful with mine? Deal?As for a kid saving 365 dollars in a year.. great, but if he cannot get up at 5 am to beat some jerk who goes to buy out a Clearance section before he can get there, does that really amount to much then?Who is to say that kid has any less of a right to a clearance deal that some 40 year old with poor impulse control?

But I'm sure you are always right as well.

I just was hoping that people would realize that you should not need to go to every store in an area and buy out every store in an area to get you fix, or rush, or whatever, that there should be chances for many people to get a good deal on something.Obviously people disagree with me and have chosen different ways to express this, as I have chose different ways to express my responses.

Before it gets too animated I am just going to admit defeat, and that there are some people that cannot be reasoned with, and there are some people that appear to be outright jerks, and that is their right.

I can see both sides of the argument. I will not comment on which side I lean toward. But, I do agree with the sentiment that is is unnecessary to list every cartload purchased.

Please note that there are those of us that buy multiples for our own consumption. I will often purchase 3 of a set -- one for me to build, one for my son and one to keep MISB. Further, I will often by 10 of a hot item if it is one sale to cover my son's class b'day invites. If I can get a child a $50 Lego for $25 (which is about the amount we spend on a classmate present), why not! He and his friends are just beginning the HP series (of books) so, yes, I purchased all 9 The Burrows I came across.

I can go out right now and clear out a store, especially one with clearances.. I do not do this though, cause while I do believe while it is nice to get a bunch of sets on deals, it is not my life.. I do not feel the need to spend 350 dollars on Slave 1s on a whim. I do not do this for a living, nor do many others, but I am sure many others would like to get at least 1 or even 2 sets on deals like this in order for them to save a buck, not make a buck..

Super...that's your choice and I would never criticize because there is nothing wrong with your choice to live your life that way.

Be careful on your assumptions and I'll be careful with mine? Deal?..

Deal, but I'm not sure what assumption you think I was making about you.

As for a kid saving 365 dollars in a year.. great, but if he cannot get up at 5 am to beat some jerk who goes to buy out a Clearance section before he can get there, does that really amount to much then?Who is to say that kid has any less of a right to a clearance deal that some 40 year old with poor impulse control??..

That kid has just as much right to a clearance deal as the "jerk" in your hypothetical, but he doesn't have the right to expect that the world will revolve around him and cater to his convenience.

But I'm sure you are always right as well.??.

Not when I'm arguing with my wife.

I just was hoping that people would realize that you should not need to go to every store in an area and buy out every store in an area to get you fix, or rush, or whatever, that there should be chances for many people to get a good deal on something.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I or anyone else ***needs*** to go out and buy large numbers of sets on clearance. I think that I made it perfectly clear that it was something that I ***choose*** to do because I enjoy it. And everyone else in my area has just as much chance as I do to get a good deal on something...and judging by the state of many stores that I went to, many people took full advantage of this opportunity.

Before it gets too animated I am just going to admit defeat, and that there are some people that cannot be reasoned with, and there are some people that appear to be outright jerks, and that is their right.

No need to admit defeat...you feel what you feel and think what you think...but you have not been trying to reason with folks on my side of the fence as much as you have been raging with ad hominem attacks, such as calling people "jerks" and "40 year old[s] with poor impulse control." Look, I get that you don't like the fact that people buy more clearance merchandise than you think appropriate, but you have not offered any valid basis to support your criticism other than your own subjective judgment. It's fine by me that you don't think that I or LFT should buy a bunch of sets to hold and resell...to be perfectly honest, I don't really care what you think about the way I choose to live my life. What ticked me off about your comments is that you act as if there is some objective standard or criteria that defines what is and is not a justified or appropriate purchase of Lego during a clearance sale, which there is not.

Well lets put this thread into perspective, Walmart: clearance, 50% Offthen to add to that people stated "I would love to see a picture of that haul" So the people you are saying are shoving it in your face where asked to do so! I went my local WalMarts on the 27th and it was from 2-6pm I didn't wake up a 5 am to get the deals. I was proactive to find them. 5 of 6 Walmarts had nothing! How dare those people who got there first! Let them burn! (haha) I picked up 4 Garmadon's dark fortress strictly for MOCs, yes i had considered buying it long ago but to me it was overpriced at 70$ for the parts count. Also I didn't even find what i had set out to look for, which was additional Kingdoms and a Fire temple. They were mostly sold out long before Christmas around here. Lego being the expensive hobby that it is, does not even compare to the amount of money I spend per year on my other hobbies but I sure don't brag about them. Yup I'm a terrible person for proactively shopping the clearance sales that retailers have on a yearly basis to get rid of excess inventory, shame on me! I don't even shop at WalMart, as a business owner to me they are a shamefully ran business that I do not respect, but when they are selling something I enjoy for 50% off MSRP you bet I'll be there asap. High five for the deal finders! and lets see more pictures of the hauls!

That is fine.. But you know what they say about Greed and Gluttony..But fine.. keep 'braying' away how it is Ok for people go and loot multiple stores for the sake of their own pockets..

You still have not said anything to convince me that there is anything wrong with a willing buyer purchasing as much product as they would like from a retailer who is willing to sell that same amount of merchandise to them. If Walmart wants to sell and I want to buy, why should I not buy?

And I'd like to ask you about something you said earlier...you said that you have, from time to time, bought sets on sale in order to resell them, so you clearly do not have a deep and principled objection to the underlying behavior you are criticizing. What I'm curious to know is where do you draw the line? How much is too much in your mind? How much can one person buy in a clearance sale without you believing that the transaction is "unjustified?"

The fact that you approve of buying a certain number of sets to resell while simultaneously criticize others for buying a greater number of sets for the same purpose is both hypocritical and a bit reminiscent of the story about the man who asks a woman whether she will spend the night with him in exchange for $1million. When she enthusiastically says yes, he asks whether she will spend the night with him for $5. When she disgustedly responds "What do you think I am?," he replies, "we've already established what you are, now we're just negotiating over price."

I have bought and sold from time to time yes, but it is not something I am doing as a profession.Does that mean I should then go to every store in my area that has a clearance and empty it? NO, not in my mind.That and I have sold sets in the past to supplement my later purchases. I would definitely say I have not made a profit on this.In the past I have bought 2-3 of a set during a sale... Usually during BOGO's, and I get different sets during each BOGO, usually in the level of 'threes' (twos in the case of BOGO), one to keep sealed, one to build, one spare.. It is not my life though. I buy mostly for my collection and to save a buck. I do not buy 5-10 per sale. Nor do I empty a store out of stock when they have 5+ of an item. I leave sets behind.

You are right, there is a fine line as to what is deemed 'fair' but seeing the numbers I have seen in this thread (and others) they are just insane... I see people buying 10-15-20 of each set clearing out supplies on stores and online... That is just out and out greedy IMO.I have bought and sold in the past, I will not deny that, but I have never emptied a store for profit, nor am I making a killing with selling any old sets I have. If that makes me a hypocrite because I am railing against those who are obvious hoarders for profit, then so be it, but at the same time does it make my message any less relevant? I do not believe so.I guess to some it will, but then again it will be those looking for any justification to be correct and 'win' the discussion.

To those that see my point I thank you.To those that think there was not point, or a failed to make my point, then there will never be a justified point.. only ways to shoot holes in my argument.. in which case there is nothing more I can say.

Well lets put this thread into perspective, Walmart: clearance, 50% Offthen to add to that people stated "I would love to see a picture of that haul" So the people you are saying are shoving it in your face where asked to do so! I went my local WalMarts on the 27th and it was from 2-6pm I didn't wake up a 5 am to get the deals. I was proactive to find them. 5 of 6 Walmarts had nothing! How dare those people who got there first! Let them burn! (haha) I picked up 4 Garmadon's dark fortress strictly for MOCs, yes i had considered buying it long ago but to me it was overpriced at 70$ for the parts count. Also I didn't even find what i had set out to look for, which was additional Kingdoms and a Fire temple. They were mostly sold out long before Christmas around here. Lego being the expensive hobby that it is, does not even compare to the amount of money I spend per year on my other hobbies but I sure don't brag about them. Yup I'm a terrible person for proactively shopping the clearance sales that retailers have on a yearly basis to get rid of excess inventory, shame on me! I don't even shop at WalMart, as a business owner to me they are a shamefully ran business that I do not respect, but when they are selling something I enjoy for 50% off MSRP you bet I'll be there asap. High five for the deal finders! and lets see more pictures of the hauls!

Well there is an 'I' in community so I should not be surprised I guess.

Can I introduce a spin on this topic for a bit? What impact will the deals found at Wal-mart have on the searches for Target clearance items? I was all ready to start frequenting the Targets for a good 30% off find here and there, but am now going to just be happy with what I was able to get at Wal-mart.

As for the greedy people on this thread saying get up at 5am to go get your item? WHY? WHY should people have to do this?

Because that's when they open.

and WHY should one guy go in a clean out a store? Some people have LIVES, they need to get to work, or get sleep to go to work, some of us do not have oodles of cash lying around to go take a day off of work to go run down every store in an area for what? To then clean out said store?

It really sounds like you are upset because you think I don't have to go to work and you do, or that you think I have more money than you do. I think you are letting jealousy get the best of you.

I am Spartacus. ;o). I know how frustrating it can be to show up minutes after a cart loader and no, that cart loader, though friendly, did not offer me dibs. It's all good, though. And I too think @Pacific493 captured it perfectly.

I picked up all 20 or so Star Wars advent calendars at my local Wally World, but when a mother asked about them, I pulled one out of my cart and handed it to her. She asked the price, I told her, she handed it back saying $20 was too expensive, she would by them when they got to $6.

Go figure... But I did try!!! My good karma points for the day.

You didn't try hard enough. Now because of you, she can't come back in 2 weeks when it's 85% off and find it there on the shelf for $6.

The forum was set up to serve AFOLs - Adult FANS of LEGO - people whose primary motivation is the love of the brick.

I love the brick! I love it when I buy it, I love it when I play with it, I even love it when I sell it. I guess 2 out of 3 ain't bad?

Such people may buy and sell in order to fund their hobby, of course, but anyone who can't see the difference between buying a few multiples versus cleaning out a whole store of sale items is either insightless or just deluding themselves I'm afraid.

@pacific493 said it best multiple times, but who exactly is the judge and jury as to how much we are allowed to buy and sell before it becomes unacceptable? I am sure there are people who think the "buy one, save one, sell one" mentality is greedy. It's all about perspective, so stop trying to push yours on others.

I'm hoping that everyone on here does "get" what being part of this community is about, in which case just a bit of thought about how some of the posts revelling in huge hauls and cleaning out shelves of sale items might look to the rest of the forum users wouldn't go amiss...

I really thought that brickset was about collecting/buying lego. Where did it stray from this?

I can see both sides of the argument. I will not comment on which side I lean toward. But, I do agree with the sentiment that is is unnecessary to list every cartload purchased.

Please note that there are those of us that buy multiples for our own consumption. I will often purchase 3 of a set -- one for me to build, one for my son and one to keep MISB. Further, I will often by 10 of a hot item if it is one sale to cover my son's class b'day invites. If I can get a child a $50 Lego for $25 (which is about the amount we spend on a classmate present), why not! He and his friends are just beginning the HP series (of books) so, yes, I purchased all 9 The Burrows I came across.

There's no need to feel guilty about or rationalize what you spend your money on. Even if you purchased all 9 burrows to bury in your backyard, I am so happy that you were able to find them at such a good price.

I have bought and sold from time to time yes, but it is not something I am doing as a profession.

Understood...I'm not doing it as a profession either.

Does that mean I should then go to every store in my area that has a clearance and empty it? NO, not in my mind.

Ok, cool...I don't think anyone has said that this is something that you ***should*** do and the fact that you choose not to is perfectly fine...that's what free will is all about.

That and I have sold sets in the past to supplement my later purchases. I would definitely say I have not made a profit on this

If you sell a set for more than you paid, you made a profit.

In the past I have bought 2-3 of a set during a sale... Usually during BOGO's, and I get different sets during each BOGO, usually in the level of 'threes' (twos in the case of BOGO), one to keep sealed, one to build, one spare.. It is not my life though. I buy mostly for my collection and to save a buck. I do not buy 5-10 per sale. Nor do I empty a store out of stock when they have 5+ of an item. I leave sets behind

Ok, so your limit is somewhere between 2-5 sets, just so long as those sets are not the last ones on the shelf, but it sounds like you are ok taking the last set if there are less than 5. My limit is slightly higher as I have no problem taking every copy of a given set that is on the shelf.

You are right, there is a fine line as to what is deemed 'fair' but seeing the numbers I have seen in this thread (and others) they are just insane... I see people buying 10-15-20 of each set clearing out supplies on stores and online... That is just out and out greedy IMO.

Maybe they are insane to you. Quite frankly, I would never buy as many sets as some have talked about buying, but to each his own. If that is what someone wants to do, who am I to tell them that they cannot or should not do it.

I have bought and sold in the past, I will not deny that, but I have never emptied a store for profit, nor am I making a killing with selling any old sets I have. If that makes me a hypocrite because I am railing against those who are obvious hoarders for profit, then so be it, but at the same time does it make my message any less relevant? I do not believe so..

The problem is that you engage in exactly the same type of behavior (i.e. selling sets for profit), but have created artificial lines in your mind that place you on the right side of the equation and the so-called "hoarders" on the other side. The basic issue is that, at the end of the day, it is all relative. I have seen purists out there talk about how one should never buy a Lego set without the intention to open it and play with it...so you would be on the wrong side of the equation based on the lines that they have drawn.

I guess to some it will, but then again it will be those looking for any justification to be correct and 'win' the discussion.

You seem to be the only one I have seen talking about there being winners and losers in this discussion. At the end of the day, we're all Lego fans and I suspect that each of us has incorporated Lego into their life in a different way than others have, and that each of us relates to Lego in a different way than others do...the fact that someone does things differently than you doesn't make their behavior unjustified or wrong...it just makes it different.

As for the greedy people on this thread saying get up at 5am to go get your item? WHY? WHY should people have to do this?

Because that's when they open.

and WHY should one guy go in a clean out a store? Some people have LIVES, they need to get to work, or get sleep to go to work, some of us do not have oodles of cash lying around to go take a day off of work to go run down every store in an area for what? To then clean out said store?

It really sounds like you are upset because you think I don't have to go to work and you do, or that you think I have more money than you do. I think you are letting jealousy get the best of you.

I don't think it's about jealousy. It's about priorities and (as drdave said it) community. I came to brickset because it's a great place (one of a handful) to discuss and share a love of LEGOs. Of course that love can take many forms. But I find the emphasis on making a buck, cornering the market, etc discouraging. Isn't it the same fervor that drove the tulip bubble, the dotcom bubble, the real estate bubble.

To put it another way. I find as an adult part of the joy of LEGO is how it connects me to the simple pleasures of playing like a child again. How can a child relate to buying 20 sets of the same model?

As for LFT's comment that a mother wasn't interested in a set he was offering her because it was $20 rather than $6. What's the point of holding out a clueless mother as justification? Do you think she cares about the charms of a particular set, the difference between one set and another, one brand (LEGO) and another? My guess is she thought she smelled a bargain and that she wanted to get in on it. When it turned out it was more than she wanted to pay for a 'toy', she turned away.

"one to keep sealed, one to build, one spare.. It is not my life though."

Translation= One to hold for future profiteering, one to enjoy and build, and one for later said profiteering.

Seriously, Madforlegos your argument is pure and simple jealousy. You assume we buy all these to resale on a later date. Most of my purchases are for my own MOC parts collection and others are sold to help pay for future sets. Again quoting your own words "That and I have sold sets in the past to supplement my later purchases. I would definitely say I have not made a profit on this." -- Me Too!

I would highly doubt people are making enough money to strictly do this to make a living, if that were the case they would buy direct for Lego as a wholesaler for less than 50% off. BTW Lego treats all its small business wholesalers like trash, the largest independently owned toy store around here rents two buildings in a larger strip mall. I visit them often as I love to support local business first. The problem is, which they have told me many times, they put in a $5000 dollar order to Lego and receive about $500 worth of it. They Lego rep. just tells them sorry, we have to cater to our big fish first. They Cleaned us out already. So really places like Walmart who hoard vast amounts of product in a warehouse somewhere far away do the same exact thing you are turning your noise up at!

To put it another way. I find as an adult part of the joy of LEGO is how it connects me to the simple pleasures of playing like a child again. How can a child relate to buying 20 sets of the same model?

I think the real question is why do the reasons for the joy that *I* derive from Lego have to coincide with yours?

Yes I know, keep making excuses and missing the point.. by all means... Justify gluttony...But I will play the 'what if' game with you...What if some kid could not get one for 2 years because of the price, then they are on clearance but some 'collector' decided he must go to EVERY Walmart in his area to clear them out.. is it that kid's fault because he cannot get to a Walmart at 5am to beat the goof who decided to turn off his limiter and buy out the store?

It isn't gluttony if the goal is to resell them, that then becomes a business and there is nothing gluttonous about that.

Actually keeping 15 shopping carts full of Lego at home and NOT reselling them, now THAT is gluttony. :)

As far as the kid, you know what? He'll live, really, he will. The entitlement attitude today of "I have the right to have that" is absurd. No, you don't, and the kid doesn't, and everyone needs to get over that. These are plastic toys, not the last loaf of bread in the store.

You didn't try hard enough. Now because of you, she can't come back in 2 weeks when it's 85% off and find it there on the shelf for $6.

Ha! That's funny... Or at least I hope you were trying to be funny...

They wouldn't have lasted another day, someone else would have cleaned them out. And as far as I know, Walmart doesn't go further than 50% off anyway, so they never would have gotten to $6 in any case.

So my first trip to Walmart ended with nothing since I didn't realize that I needed to scan the sets to see the sale price. Of the 6 city of Atlantis sets that I saw one the 26th, two were left on the 27th when I returned. While I'm glad those were left it would not be the end of the world if they had been cleaned out.

Anyhow, visited Middle Island, NY location today and found a bunch of 8639's (big bentley bust out) there, thought it was interesting that nobody has reported this one yet. Not exactly my idea of investment worthy but at $34.97 per I'll give it a chance.

@pcirone - you bring up a good point. I wonder about the staying power of all of the cars sets without minifigs. I bought many of the sets for my son who is 8 and he has not shown much interest in them.

I have read this thread with varying degrees of surprise. I echo DrDs theme of community, but communities are made up of many individuals who have a wide array of views on any given subject. I enjoy the thrill of the chase in hitting several stores at clearance time looking for deals. I bought 8 Blacksmith attacks today at one Walmart. There were 15 more that I left. I considered buying them all, but decided against it for no other reason than I didn't feel like putting them all up for resale. However, had I chosen to buy them all, it was my choice to do so and I would have been fine with that too. I have already traded several of the sets I've found for others. I will sell some for a profit and I will part some out. Bottom line is that if you want the opportunity to buy sets at clearance or not, you need to put yourself in a position to do so. If you will not or cannot do that, I am sorry, but I don't think it is right to criticize those who do or can.

I have made trades with several of the folks who hit sales. I have found everyone on this site to be accommodating in helping me get sets I need. I, in turn, try to return the favor. That is what a community is all about.

Gotta chime in and say I'm on @madforlegos side here. But I didn't finish reading all of page 4's arguments... and I still see the other side point of view so not like I despise them. Just bummed I can't find slave 1 Or any battle packs....